Helping people prepare for, find, and keep good jobs is what Goodwill is about.

Hi Everyone –

We have the opportunity to shift again, as Gov. Whitmer has lifted the Safer at Home Order. Manistee moves to phase 5 of the Michigan Safe Plan which allows for the opening of theaters and salons on June 10. The governor predicts that the rest of Michigan will be moving to phase 5 by June 15. This is great news in that it means we will have successfully reduced cases of and deaths from COVID-19, that our health system capacity is strong, and that we have established robust testing, contact tracing, and containment protocols. Our intent under phase 5 is to reopen the corporate office on June 15 with staggered starts and the rotation of employees at the office. Work that can be done from home still should be done from home under the new rules and we will adhere to those requirements.  As we enter enthusiastically into a time of more freedom of movement, please do not relax your efforts to combat the virus. We are only moving to Phase 5 because of the strength of our response in using the safety precautions of physical distancing, mask wearing, and hand washing. Our ability to continue to stay safe and open is dependent on everyone doing their part to make sure it does not spread.

I had the opportunity to be at our Coopersville store location for our opening day yesterday and it was a joy to see the enthusiasm of our staff and customers about being back together. It was very clear that our staff was ready to manage the new routines and rhythms around safety protocols, and our customers were overwhelmingly willing to do what they could to protect the health of all while experiencing the joy of retail therapy! Working together we can continue to beat this pandemic here at home.

As we continue to move through this Coronavirus crisis and create new normals, as a country we find ourselves in a battle against the centuries-old crisis of racism. This time, we cannot be lulled into complacency by incremental progress, and we need to be relentless in our fight for justice and equality. If we become complacent, we at Goodwill will never see our vision that everyone has a pathway to meaningful and sustaining work become reality. Dismantling systems that promote inequality is a critical effort to our success and is simply the right thing to do.

When I reflect on Goodwill, both ours in West Michigan and internationally, it is clear that we have to start with addressing our own past that is steeped in racial inequality. While we have made progress over the last few years, it is not enough, and I understand the frustration felt by those who have been waiting generations for equity, who have spent a lifetime peacefully working for change, and who for years have calmly asked to be heard. We will not give up, we will not become complacent, and we will not stop listening as we endlessly examine ourselves and continue to devise better ways forward. 

June is Pride Month for the LGBTQ community, and celebrates the dignity, equality, and contributions of LGBTQ people. June was chosen as the month to celebrate in order to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which occurred in June of 1969. At the time, patrons of LGBTQ establishments were regularly beaten, arrested, and locked up by police. It was illegal to be gay. These violent protests erupted as a response to horrific and unjust treatment of LGBTQ people, and the Stonewall riots are considered by many to be the start of the gay rights movement. This is very timely and instructive history for this moment because it reminds us that people do not riot because they are merely upset. They riot because they are desperate and terrified and because they have been abused instead of protected by the entities that we presume are there to protect everyone. This rebellion helped to end the sanctioned abuse by police of LGBTQ people. It did not end discrimination, but it did matter. As we celebrate Pride Month, I hope you will join me in envisioning a future world where this type of protest is not needed or warranted, a future that values and promotes the health, safety, and success of all. 

My best to you all –
Jeanette